As if to transition me back into India, the traffic became quite congested when we reached the main part of Colombo, particularly the Fort and Pettah areas. Thankfully there wasn’t as much liberal use of the car horn though. Immediately upon entering the city, I also noticed a very visible presence of army and police security personnel by booths and barriers with stop areas. The driver explained that during the war, one would have to stop every few meters, making any trip particularly in central Colombo take a long time. Hungry for lunch, we went around some blocks several times looking for a parking spot and ended up having to walk a ways. After a last curry meal at a simple eating place, we took a short walk on York Street, enjoying its colonial buildings.
Out of the parking area, we drove a short distance on the road near the sea. The beach on that stretch was mostly grassy, but there still were some people enjoying the sea breeze. Prior to heading to the airport, we drove to the area of Colombo known as Cinnamon Gardens. Here, things were greener and much more spacious, with embassies, fancier stores, and wealthier homes dominating. After a short shopping trip to a handicrafts store, I proceeded to the airport earlier than planned so that my driver could return to Ella for an unexpected funeral. Now in the company of surfboard touting tourists, Chennai visitors, and Sri Lankans, I waited for my wee hour flight back to Chennai. Another successful trip.
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